The Crusade of the Excelsior

by Bret Harte

  CHAPTER VIII.

  HOSTAGE.

  The revolution of Todos Santos had to all appearances been effected aspeacefully as the gentle Liberator of Quinquinambo could have wished.Two pronunciamientos, rudely printed and posted in the Plaza, andsaluted by the fickle garrison of one hundred men, who had, however,immediately reappointed their old commander as Generalissimo under thenew regime, seemed to leave nothing to be desired. A surging mob ofvacant and wondering peons, bearing a singular resemblance to the wildcattle and horses which intermingled with them in blind and unceasingmovement across the Plaza and up the hilly street, and seemingly asincapable of self-government, were alternately dispersed and stampededor allowed to gather again as occasion required. Some of theseheterogeneous bands were afterwards found--the revolutionaccomplished--gazing stupidly on the sea, or ruminating in bovinewantonness on the glacis before the Presidio.

  Eleanor Keene, who with her countrywomen had been hurried to the refugeof the Mission, was more disturbed and excited at the prospect ofmeeting Hurlstone again than by any terror of the insurrection. ButHurlstone was not there, and Father Esteban received her with a coldnessshe could not attribute entirely to her countrymen's supposed sympathywith the insurgents. When Richard Keene, who would not leave his sisteruntil he had seen her safe under the Mission walls, ventured at hersuggestion to ask after the American recluse, Father Esteban replieddryly that, being a Christian gentleman, Hurlstone was the only one whohad the boldness to seek out the American filibuster Perkins, on hisown ship, and remonstrate with him for his unholy crusade. For the oldpriest had already become aware of Hurlstone's blunder, and he hatedEleanor as the primary cause of the trouble. But for her, Diego would bestill with him in this emergency.

  "Never mind, Nell," said Dick, noticing the disappointed eyes of hissister as they parted, "you'll all be safe here until we return. Betweenyou and me, Banks, Brimmer, and I think that Brace and Winslow have gonetoo far in this matter, and we're going to stop it, unless the wholething is over now, as they say."

  "Don't believe that," said Crosby. "It's like their infernalearthquakes; there's always a second shock, and a tidal wave to follow.I pity Brace, Winslow, and Perkins if they get caught in it."

  There seemed to be some reason for his skepticism, for later the calm ofthe Mission Garden was broken upon by the monotonous tread of banded menon the shell-strewn walks, and the door of the refectory opened tothe figure of Senor Perkins. A green silk sash across his breast, agold-laced belt, supporting a light dress-sword and a pair of pistols,buckled around the jaunty waist of his ordinary black frock-coat, werehis scant martial suggestions. But his hat, albeit exchanged for a softfelt one, still reposed on the back of his benevolent head, and seemedto accent more than ever the contrast between his peaceful shouldersand the military smartness of his lower figure. He bowed with easypoliteness to the assembled fugitives; but before he could address them,Father Esteban had risen to his feet,--

  "I thought that this house, at least, was free from the desecratingfootsteps of lawlessness and impiety," said the priest sternly. "Howdare YOU enter here?"

  "Nothing but the desire to lend my assistance to the claims of beauty,innocence, helplessness, and--if you will allow me to add," with a lowbow to the priest--"sanctity, caused this intrusion. For I regret to saythat, through the ill-advised counsels of some of my fellow-patriots,the Indian tribes attached to this Mission are in revolt, and threateneven this sacred building."

  "It is false!" said Father Esteban indignantly. "Even under the accursedmanipulation of your emissaries, the miserable heathen would not dare toraise a parricidal hand against the Church that fostered him!"

  Senor Perkins smiled gently, but sadly.

  "Your belief, reverend sir, does you infinite credit. But, to savetime, let me give way to a gentleman who, I believe, possesses yourconfidence. He will confirm my statement."

  He drew aside, and allowed Hurlstone, who had been standing unperceivedbehind, to step forward. The Padre uttered an exclamation of pleasure.Miss Keene colored quickly. Hurlstone cast a long and lingering glanceat her, which seemed to the embarrassed girl full of a new, strangemeaning, and then advanced quickly with outstretched hands towardsFather Esteban.

  "He speaks truly," he said, hurriedly, "and in the interests of humanityalone. The Indians have been tampered with treacherously, against hisknowledge and consent. He only seeks now to prevent the consequences ofthis folly by placing you and these ladies out of reach of harm aboardof the Excelsior."

  "A very proper and excellent idea," broke in Mrs. Brimmer, with genteelprecision. "You see these people evidently recognize the fact of Mr.Brimmer's previous ownership of the Excelsior, and the respect that isdue to him. I, for one, shall accept the offer, and insist upon MissChubb accompanying me."

  "I shall be charmed to extend the hospitality of the Excelsior to you onany pretext," said the Senor gallantly, "and, indeed, should insist uponpersonally accompanying you and my dear friends Mrs. Markham and MissKeene; but, alas! I am required elsewhere. I leave," he continued,turning towards Hurlstone, who was already absorbed in a whisperedconsultation with Padre Esteban--"I leave a sufficient escort with youto protect your party to the boats which have brought us here. You willtake them to the Excelsior, and join me with the ship off Todos Santosin the morning. Adieu, my friends! Good-night, and farewell!"

  The priest made a vehement movement of protestation, but he was checkedby Hurlstone, as, with a low bow, Senor Perkins passed out into thedarkness. The next moment his voice was heard raised in command, andthe measured tramp of his men gradually receded and was lost in thedistance.

  "Does he think," said the priest indignantly, "that I, Padre Esteban,would desert my sacred trust, and leave His Holy Temple a prey tosacrilegious trespass? Never, while I live, Diego! Call him back andtell him so!"

  "Rather listen to me, Father Esteban," said the young man earnestly."I have a plan by which this may be avoided. From my knowledge of theseIndians, I am convinced that they have been basely tricked and cajoledby some one. I believe that they are still amenable to reason andargument, and I am so certain that I am ready to go down among them andmake the attempt. The old Chief and part of his band are still encampedon the shore; we could hear them as we passed in the boats. I will goand meet them. If I succeed in bringing them to reason I will return; ifI find them intractable, I will at least divert their attention from theMission long enough for you to embark these ladies with their escort,which you will do at the end of two hours if I do not return."

  "In two hours?" broke in Mrs. Brimmer, in sharp protest. "I positivelyobject. I certainly understood that Senor Perkins' invitation, which,under the circumstances, I shall consider equal to a command from Mr.Brimmer, was to be accepted at once and without delay; and I certainlyshall not leave Miss Chubb exposed to imminent danger for two hours tomeet the caprice of an entire stranger to Mr. Brimmer."

  "I am willing to stay with Father Esteban, if he will let me," saidEleanor Keene quietly, "for I have faith in Mr. Hurlstone's influenceand courage, and believe he will be successful."

  The young man thanked her with another demonstrative look that broughtthe warm blood to her cheek.

  "Well," said Mrs. Markham promptly; "I suppose if Nell stays I mustsee the thing through and stay with her--even if I haven't orders fromJimmy."

  "There is no necessity that either Mr. or Mrs. Brimmer should bedisobeyed in their wishes," said Hurlstone grimly. "Luckily there aretwo boats; Mrs. Brimmer and Miss Chubb can take one of them with halfthe escort, and proceed at once to the Excelsior. I will ride with themas far as the boat. And now," he continued, turning to the old priest,with sparkling eyes, "I have only to ask your blessing, and the goodwishes of these ladies, to go forth on my mission of peace. If I amsuccessful," he added, with a light laugh, "confess that a layman anda heretic may do some service for the Church." As the old man laid hishalf detaining, half benedictory hands upon his shoulders, the young manseized the opportunity to whisper in his
ear, "Remember your promise totell her ALL I have told you," and, with an other glance at Miss Keene,he marshalled Mrs. Brimmer and Miss Chubb before him, and hurried themto the boat.

  Miss Keene looked after him with a vague felicity in the change thatseemed to have come on him, a change that she could as little accountfor as her own happiness. Was it the excitement of danger that hadovercome his reserve, and set free his compressed will and energy? Shelonged for her brother to see him thus--alert, strong, and chivalrous.In her girlish faith, she had no fear for his safety; he would conquer,he would succeed; he would come back to them victorious! Looking up fromher happy abstraction, at the side of Mrs. Markham, who had calmly goneto sleep in an arm-chair, she saw Father Esteban's eyes fixed upon her.With a warning gesture of the hand towards Mrs. Markham, he rose, and,going to the door of the sacristy, beckoned to her. The young girlnoiselessly crossed the room and followed him into the sanctuary.

  Half an hour later, and while Mrs. Markham was still asleep, FatherEsteban appeared at the door of the sacristy ostentatiously takingsnuff, and using a large red handkerchief to wipe his more than usuallyhumid eyes. Eleanor Keene, with her chin resting on her hand, remainedsitting as he had left her, with her abstracted eyes fixed vacantly onthe lamp before the statue of the Virgin and the half-lit gloom of thenave.

  Padre Esteban had told her ALL! She now knew Hurlstone's history evenas he had hesitatingly imparted it to the old priest in this verychurch--perhaps upon the very seat where she sat. She knew the peacethat he had sought for and found within these walls, broken only by hispassion for her! She knew his struggles against the hopelessness of thisnew-born love, even the desperate remedy that had been adopted againstherself, and the later voluntary exile of her lover. She knewthe providential culmination of his trouble in the news broughtunconsciously by Perkins, which, but a few hours ago, he had verifiedby the letters, records, and even the certificate of death that had thusstrangely been placed in his hands! She knew all this so clearly now,that, with the instinct of a sympathetic nature, she even fancied shehad heard it before. She knew that all the obstacles to an exchangeof their affection had been removed; that her lover only waited hisopportunity to hear from her own lips the answer that was even nowstruggling at her heart. And yet she hesitated and drew back, halffrightened in the presence of her great happiness. How she longed,and yet dreaded, to meet him! What if anything should have happened tohim?--what if he should be the victim of some treachery?--what if he didnot come?--what if?--"Good heavens! what was that?"

  She was near the door of the sacristy, gazing into the dim and shadowychurch. Either she was going mad, or else the grotesque Indian hangingsof the walls were certainly moving towards her. She rose in speechlessterror, as what she had taken for an uncouthly swathed and drapedbarbaric pillar suddenly glided to the window. Crouching against thewall, she crept breathlessly towards the entrance to the garden. Castinga hurried glance above her, she saw the open belfry that was illuminatedby the misty radiance of the moon, darkly shadowed by hideouslygibbering faces that peered at her through the broken tracery. With acry of horror she threw open the garden-door; but the next moment wasswallowed up in the tumultuous tide of wild and half naked Indians whosurged against the walls of the church, and felt herself lifted from herfeet, with inarticulate cries, and borne along the garden. Even in hermortal terror, she could recognize that the cries were not those ofrage, but of vacant satisfaction; that although she was lifted on litheshoulders, the grasp of her limbs was gentle, and the few dark faces shecould see around her were glistening in childlike curiosity. Presentlyshe felt herself placed upon the back of a mule, that seemed to beswayed hither and thither in the shifting mass, and the next momentthe misty, tossing cortege moved forward with a new and more definitepurpose. She called aloud for Father Esteban and Mrs. Markham; her voiceappeared to flow back upon her from the luminous wall of fog thatclosed around her. Then the inarticulate, irregular outcries took uponthemselves a measured rhythm, the movement of the mass formed itselfupon the monotonous chant, the intervals grew shorter, the mule brokeinto a trot, and then the whole vast multitude fell into a weird,rhythmical, jogging quick step at her side.

  Whatever was the intent of this invasion of the Mission and her ownstrange abduction, she was relieved by noticing that they were going inthe same direction as that taken by Hurlstone an hour before. Either hewas cognizant of their movements, and, being powerless to prevent theirattack on the church, had stipulated they were to bring her to him insafety, or else he was calculating to intercept them on the way. The fogprevented her from forming any estimation of the numbers that surroundedher, or if the Padre and Mrs. Markham were possibly preceding her ascaptives in the vanguard. She felt the breath of the sea, and knew theywere traveling along the shore; the monotonous chant and jogging motiongradually dulled her active terror to an apathetic resignation, in whichoccasionally her senses seemed to swoon and swim in the dreamy radiancethrough which they passed; at times it seemed a dream or nightmare withwhich she was hopelessly struggling; at times she was taking part in anunhallowed pageant, or some heathen sacrificial procession of which shewas the destined victim.

  She had no consciousness of how long the hideous journey lasted. Herbenumbed senses were suddenly awakened by a shock; the chant had ceased,the moving mass in which she was imbedded rolled forward once more asif by its own elasticity, and then receded again with a jar that almostunseated her. Then the inarticulate murmur was overborne by a voice. Itwas HIS! She turned blindly towards it; but before she could utter thecry that rose to her lips, she was again lifted from the saddle, carriedforward, and gently placed upon what seemed to be a moss-grown bank.Opening her half swimming eyes she recognized the Indian cross. Thecrowd seemed to recede before her. Her eyes closed again as a strong armpassed around her waist.

  "Speak to me, Miss Keene--Eleanor--my darling!" said Hurlstone's voice."O my God! they have killed her!"

  With an effort she moved her head and tried to smile. Their eyes, andthen their lips met; she fainted.

  When she struggled to her senses again, she was lying in thestern-sheets of the Excelsior's boat, supported on Mrs. Markham'sshoulder. For an instant the floating veil of fog around her, and therhythmical movement of the boat, seemed a part of her mysterious ride,and she raised her head with a faint cry for Hurlstone.

  "It's all right, my dear," said Mrs. Markham, soothingly; "he's ashorewith the Padre, and everything else is all right too. But it's ratherridiculous to think that those idiotic Indians believed the only waythey could show Mr. Hurlstone that they meant us no harm was to dragus all up to THEIR Mission, as they call that half heathen cross oftheirs--for safety against--who do you think, dear?--the dreadfulAMERICANS! And imagine all the while the Padre and I were just behindyou, bringing up the rear of the procession--only they wouldn't let usjoin you because they wanted to show you special honor as"--she sank hervoice to a whisper in Eleanor's ear--"as the future Mrs. Hurlstone! Itappears they must have noticed something about you two, the last timeyou were there, my dear. And--to think--YOU never told me anything aboutit!"

  When they reached the Excelsior, they found that Mrs. Brimmer, havingalready settled herself in the best cabin, was inclined to extend thehospitalities of the ship with the air of a hostess. But the arrival ofHurlstone at midnight with some delegated authority from Senor Perkins,and the unexpected getting under way of the ship, disturbed hercomplacency.

  "We are going through the channel into the bay of Todos Santos," was thebrief reply vouchsafed her by Hurlstone.

  "But why can't we remain here and wait for Mr. Brimmer?" she askedindignantly.

  "Because," responded Hurlstone grimly, "the Excelsior is expected offthe Presidio to-morrow morning to aid the insurgents."

  "You don't mean to say that Miss Chubb and myself are to be put in theattitude of arraying ourselves against the constituted authorities--and,perhaps, Mr. Brimmer himself?" asked Mrs. Brimmer, in genuine alarm.

  "It looks so," said Hurlsto
ne, a little maliciously; "but, no doubt,your husband and the Senor will arrange it amicably."

  To Mrs. Markham and Miss Keene he explained more satisfactorily thatthe unexpected disaffection of the Indians had obliged Perkins to so farchange his plans as to disembark his entire force from the Excelsior,and leave her with only the complement of men necessary to navigate herthrough the channel of Todos Santos, where she would peacefully awaithis orders, or receive his men in case of defeat.

  Nevertheless, as the night was nearly spent, Mrs. Markham and Eleanorpreferred to await the coming day on deck, and watch the progress of theExcelsior through the mysterious channel. In a few moments the barquebegan to feel the combined influence of the tide and the slight morningbreeze, and, after rounding an invisible point, she presently rose andfell on the larger ocean swell. The pilot, whom Hurlstone recognizedas the former third mate of the Excelsior, appeared to understand thepassage perfectly; and even Hurlstone and the ladies, who had througheight months' experience become accustomed to the luminous obscurityof Todos Santos, could detect the faint looming of the headland at theentrance. The same soothing silence, even the same lulling of the unseensurf, which broke in gentle undulations over the bar, and seemed to liftthe barque in rocking buoyancy over the slight obstruction, came back tothem as on the day of their fateful advent. The low orders of the pilot,the cry of the leadsman in the chains, were but a part of the restfulpast.

  Under the combined influence of the hour and the climate, theconversation fell into monosyllables, and Mrs. Markham dozed. The loverssat silently together, but the memory of a kiss was between them. Itspanned the gulf of the past with an airy bridge, over which theirsecret thoughts and fancies passed and repassed with a delicioussecurity; henceforth they could not flee from that memory, even if theywished; they read it in each other's lightest glance; they felt itin the passing touch of each other's hands; it lingered, with vaguetenderness, on the most trivial interchange of thought. Yet they spoke alittle of the future. Eleanor believed that her brother would not objectto their union; he had spoken of entering into business at Todos Santos,and perhaps when peace and security were restored they might livetogether. Hurlstone did not tell her that a brief examination of hiswife's papers had shown him that the property he had set aside forher maintenance, and from which she had regularly drawn an income, hadincreased in value, and left him a rich man. He only pressed her hand,and whispered that her wishes should be his. They had become tenderlysilent again, as the Excelsior, now fairly in the bay, appeared to beslowly drifting, with listless sails and idle helm, in languid search ofan anchorage. Suddenly they were startled by a cry from the lookout.

  "Sail ho!"

  There was an incredulous start on the deck. The mate sprang into thefore-rigging with an oath of protestation. But at the same moment thetall masts and spars of a vessel suddenly rose like a phantom out of thefog at their side. The half disciplined foreign crew uttered a cryof rage and trepidation, and huddled like sheep in the waist, withdistracted gestures; even the two men at the wheel forsook their post torun in dazed terror to the taffrail. Before the mate could restore orderto this chaos, the Excelsior had drifted, with a scarcely perceptibleconcussion, against the counter of the strange vessel. In an instant adozen figures appeared on its bulwarks, and dropped unimpeded upon theExcelsior's deck. As the foremost one approached the mate, the lattershrank back in consternation.

  "Captain Bunker!"

  "Yes," said the figure, advancing with a mocking laugh; "Captain Bunkerit is. Captain Bunker, formerly of this American barque Excelsior, andnow of the Mexican ship La Trinidad. Captain Bunker ez larnt everyfoot of that passage in an open boat last August, and didn't forget ityesterday in a big ship! Captain Bunker ez has just landed a companyof dragoons to relieve the Presidio. What d'ye say to that, Mr.M'Carthy--eh?"

  "I say," answered M'Carthy, raising his voice with a desperate effort torecover his calmness, "I say that Perkins landed with double that numberof men yesterday around that point, and that he'll be aboard here inhalf an hour to make you answer for this insult to his ship and hisGovernment."

  "His Government!" echoed Bunker, with a hoarser laugh; "hear him!--HISGovernment! His Government died at four o'clock this morning, whenhis own ringleaders gave him up to the authorities. Ha! Why, this yerrevolution is played out, old man; and Generalissimo Leonidas Perkins islocked up in the Presidio."